A coal-fired power plant in Nantong, Jiangsu province. According to a midterm assessment in 2013, the nation fell behind in some of its pollution targets over the past three years. CHINA DAILY

Economic and environmental officials vowed on Monday to step up efforts in the next two years to ensure China's energy and environment goals for 2015 are within reach, despite efforts in the 2011-2013 period that failed to measure up.

Experts said fulfillment of the nation's energy saving and emissions reduction targets would also lay a foundation for meeting the country's goal of slashing pollution and improving air quality by the end of 2017.

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China is facing "a tough situation" in hitting its energy and emissions targets for 2015, and wide-ranging efforts must be put in place within the next two years, said Xu Shaoshi, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, on a national teleconference in Beijing on Monday.

According to a midterm assessment in 2013, the nation fell behind in some of its pollution targets over the past three years. For instance, the target for nitrogen oxide reduction between 2011 and 2013 was 60 percent, but only 20 percent was accomplished during that period.

The numbers indicated that significant ground must be covered over the next two years, said Li Junfeng, director general of National Center of Climate Change Strategy Research.

"If the nation fails to realize its energy saving and emissions reduction targets for 2015, it would be even harder for it to hit the 2017 target for improving air quality and cutting emissions," said Li. China aims to reduce the level of airborne particulate matter by at least 10 percent in major cities between 2013 and 2017.

According to a two-year action plan released by the State Council, China's cabinet, on Monday, the country aimed to cut carbon intensity (carbon emissions per unit of GDP) by 4 percent in 2014 and 3.5 percent in 2015. China's carbon intensity should fall by 17 percent, according to its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).